A California father fatally shot his wife and one of his children before targeting his eldest daughter and killing himself in front of her during a horrific murder-suicide — as family members spoke out over the massacre.
Hector Lionel Alfaro, 52, launched his deadly rampage inside the family home on the 5800 block of Loreile Avenue in Lakewood at around 8 a.m. Thursday.
Alfaro, armed with a handgun, shot both his wife, 48, and 17-year-old daughter in the upper torso, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.
The murderous dad’s 19-year-old daughter was woken up by the sounds of gunshots that erupted throughout the house.
Alfaro fired his gun several times at his daughter, missing her before he killed himself in front of her, officials said.
Officials entered the home to discover Alfaro in the family den suffering from a gunshot wound while his wife and youngest daughter were found in separate bedrooms.
All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
The “emotionally distraught” daughter was physically unharmed by the hail of gunfire.
Officials recovered two firearms from the home.
Deputies detained the daughter when they arrived at the home after reports of an assault with a deadly weapon.
She was transported to the Lakewood Police station for questioning, but was released from custody after police learned that her father carried out the massacre.
The unidentified 19-year-old was “extremely distraught” when she ran out of the home after the deadly shooting, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Lt. Daniel Vizcarra told reporters.
“Luckily, she was a survivor of this tragedy. Just trying to deal with the consequences of their father’s doing,” her uncle Jorge Fuentes told NBC Los Angeles. “It’s hard to process. Pain. Anger. How a person is supposed to be a protector and a father to those girls would have done something so hideous.”
Vizcarra said there was no outside threat to the community.
“Obviously this incident is a tragedy to the City of Lakewood. Lakewood is one of the safest cities in L.A. County,” Capt. Dan Holguin told reporters.
Fuentes, who is Alfaro’s brother-in-law, said other family members were supporting his family following the massacre.
“All the other family members that showed up, they were hosting us, providing their home for whatever needs we had,” Fuentes said. “It’s been a lot of reaching out by friends and family to support us through this difficult time.”
The names of Alfaro’s wife and daughters have not been released.
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